In honor of a fallen brother--update

Students mentioned last week his brother had been killed in Iraq the day before. Today he came in with a hat and some of those cool military pins to placed on the bill of the hat. I thought as I watched him push each pin into it’s place, this is a special hat. I walked over to the kid and asked is this hat in honor of your brother and he replied yes! I asked if I could take a picture of his cool hat for my blog and of course he looked surprised but happy, even proud of his hat or maybe the pride was of his brother gone but not forgotten.  I think the two brothers had some steps between them in the family tree and a few years between them growing up but I could tell that this brother was very important to him. I know he will always honor his brother for his service to God and country.
***May 8, 2013 
Update: Last week I got some prints made of the photos I had taken recently. I got copies of too many especially the ones of my grand daughter. While trying to decide on which of the hundreds of pictures of JP smiling, JP laughing, JP pouting; I thought I would get a copy of  this photo of the hat that the kid had made in honor of his fallen brother. Next day at school  I went to class and placed the photo on the kids desk. I said something like I thought you might like to have this picture. Then I walked away to go back to correcting papers. Looking up form my work the kid came over to me and said thank you for the picture. He gave me a hug. 
Kids in those crazy teen years when kids have to be perceived as cool and tough, too tough to care well that isn't true is it. 

Behind the Teacher’s Desk

I’ve been a paraprofessional for going on 14 years now. Running around in and out of classrooms, I spend my day helping teachers help their students. Sometimes substituting  in the room to cover for teachers who have meetings, need a test proctor, teaching assisting and all that goes with the job. When in a classroom, I’ll admit to getting a little nosey and peaking what's on the teacher's desk or the bookshelf behind the desk. Usually the teacher will have a few photos of her or his family. Those photos mean so much about who the teacher is and how family and friends are important to the teacher. Seen a lot of photos of teachers, their husbands, their wives, mom and dads, sisters, brothers, the kids in the ocean, kids playing in the snow we had a few years ago,  the kids at graduation, the babies with cute little smiles and many of the memories of people who are important to the teacher.
Now that I am in the big time at McEachern High School, I have missed many of the friends from Varner but man these teacher and staff at McEachern have been very welcoming to me. One teacher who is amazing at her chosen field, has the photos of her kids on a shelf, along with the photos are poems, letters and cards from her students in the past. On one Friday afternoon I looked at those photos and read some sweet notes hanging on the cement wall from her kid about the best mom is his mom.
Then I saw the photo, something I wouldn't expect from out of the past. A picture of a young man and his Homecoming date. I knew that kid.  It was a picture of my Tony’s best friend, Ethan. Ethan would have been 22 today. It’s been a little over four years since he had passed and it was good to see his face. He looked happy in the Homecoming 08 picture. A photo taken a week before he left. I find that he is not forgotten! He made a difference! He made us laugh! Then he made us cry!
Sending love to all his family and friends who all miss his smile!

Photo on Ms. Thomas’ bookshelf in her classroom at McEachern.

Remembering Those Day of Having a Toddler in the House

JP slept over Granma’s and Grandpa’s house last night. By morning time she was ready to go home to see her mommy and daddy.


Being such a cold morning, I got her dressed in her warm coat, shoes and socks, cute hat and then realized I forgot to pack her Meow-Meow.
Meow-meow is her cute, little stuffed kitty cat that travels with her to and from almost everywhere. I quickly ran up the stairs to get her Meow-meow, thinking, gee I hope I haven’t  forgotten anything else.

  I quickly grabbed the Meow-Meow kitty and ran back down the stairs to see little  darling had taken off her cute,  furry coat, her little pretty pink shoes, her little white socks, and her cute, pink kitty cat hat. JP had gone to the back dining room table to get another powdered donut. She doesn’t eat the donut. She just has to hold it for some little person reason, that I don’t understand.  So many things she does reinforces the reasons that parenthood is for the younger generation.  
Of course we, meaning I,  put all those clothes back on her and got her into the car. By the time I got to her mommy and daddy’s house she had everything off again. Luckily my daughter knows not to say something like “Gee mom, It is like 30 something degrees out here. Couldn’t you dress my daughter for the weather?” Fun toddler-hood days!
Gotta love that shoeless, sockless, coatless, hatless little girl!

Marshmallow Delight

A recent trip to the grocery store brought forth a variety of marshmallows. There were not only regular old marshmallows, but also mini marshmallows jumbo marshmallows, colored and flavored marshmallows. Marshmallows of all kinds and flavors.

 Flavored marshmallows were oozing sweet tastiness of ice cream flavors

                There were one of my favorite of Jet-Puffed Mallow Bits that was the kind in a nice, hot chocolate.

Vanilla stars for a July 4th celebration.

German  Chocolate cake kind of interesting.
               The always desired cinnamon marshmallows.
  Ah ha! A chocolate mint marshmallow.
  Yum chocolate royal marshmallows.
  The flattened Stacker Marshmallows good for making samosas.
        Then last one found on this quick trip was the stripped marshmallows.  
    So glad they didn't have a chocolate covered cherry marshmallow. I would have had to buy each and every bag of the best flavor of them all, chocolate covered cherry.

Sad Anniversary! Missing Ethan!

Today I woke up, but without really having a good night’s sleep. Called in to the school admin. and called in to sub finder, texted the teacher, I’ll be out today. Then I was free to load up on some needed meds and go back to sleep. I slept for a few hours then figured I should get up, get moving and get things done.

I got some things together and went outside. Yeow! It is freezing and off in the distance was some cold rain clouds. I took a trip to Hiram and pick out a present for an old spirit friend. Today it’s been only four years since my son’s friend, Ethan Thurmond passed. So off to Marietta I drove to pay my respects to a kid whose smile and sense of humor touch so many. So many miss him! I drove closer to the cemetery and the clouds moved in, seemed to be justified. It started to rain about one mile from Ethan’s resting place.
What present did I get for a special soul? I got him a small glass blue angel and a brown cross.
The cross was pretty cool looking , which I knew Ethan would appreciate.
While there I notice that Ethan’s grandfather’s grave’s vase was knocked down and empty. I borrowed a stick of silk flowers from Ethan’s vase and place them in the now up righted vase. Hope whoever left those flowers for Ethan didn’t mind my sharing with his grandpa.
Close to his grandfather!
The storm clouds ominous!
I love that this memorial for the victims of 911 is close by Ethan’s resting place. Within sight!


While there visiting for me and for  my kid, Tony who is far from home in Colorado, Ethan’s dad pulled up in his car. We talked for awhile. Talked about small stuff! Kind of crazy! Never know what to say, still. Marshall said everyone is doing well in his family. Whenever I see Marshall or Brenda there is a sadness inside. I know it will always be that way. I know they are comforted by Ethan is in heaven with God,  but wished for more time to be his parents. There will be a day when those loss feelings will be gone. For now they go on.

Josh is doing well. He’s move back to the area from the west coast. Bethany is also doing well. They are so proud of their grandkid! He is getting big!

I told Marshall what I had done by taking a stem of flowers from Ethan and putting one in Marshall’s dad’s grave. He said that was nice.

So on my way for now! Take care family and friends of Ethan!

Uncle Rick visits JP

I love to see a rely great moment especially when it's family!

Southern Quilt Trail of Powder Springs